Respect Personal Best Teamwork Community
KEY DATES AHEAD
Friday 14th Feb
Foundation Classroom
Wednesday until March
The weather was on our side on Saturday morning for
our Chinese New Year celebrations. Again I would like to
thank the Chua family for sponsoring this fantastic
community event. I would also like to thank Mrs Rogers
for working with our students to create great art work
that was used as a back drop for the event.
The students have been visiting the Life Ed van along with Harold over the
past two weeks. This is another great learning opportunity that is available
to our school and our students to teach them about important health and
safety matters.
I have enjoyed visiting classrooms and talking to the students about their
learning this week. I am very proud of the great routines that both the
teachers and students have established. This year we will again be using the
Seesaw app to communicate what the students are working on and their
learning goals. Please see your child’s teacher if you require information
about downloading this app.
Please remember to phone through to the school office from 8am
if your child is going to be away. Also if you need to pick your child
up early from school, please provide a note to their classroom
teacher. We are working to minimise the disruptions to the
teaching and learning programs especially after lunch this year.
I know the year has only just commenced however if you have a child
starting school next year can you please see Glenda in the office to ensure
we have their name down.
On Monday night the Parents’ Club elected a new President Bethany Ivory.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge the work that
Kylie Pritchard has put in over the last three and a half years in her role as
President. I am extremely fortunate to have such a committed and dedicated
Parents’ Club who give time to raise funds for our school. Any support you
can offer is greatly appreciated and I know Bethany would love to have you
assist in any way you can. The first fundraiser of the year is our annual Easter
raffle, and more details will be provided on this soon.
Happy Valentine’s Day for tomorrow and have a great weekend!
Simone
If you need to pick your child up early on any day, please
provide a note to your child’s classroom teacher. We are
working to minimise disruptions to the afternoon teaching
and learning time this year.
We thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation
throughout the year.
Week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Learning
00A Elisa 12A Ellie 34A Charlotte 56A Samarah
00B Remi 12B Zaeemah 34B Ahmed 56B Liam
00C Candice 12C Tayah 34C Cassie 56C Nate
12D Ava 34D Tarlia 56D Max
12E James
12F Kate
2020 STUDENT AWARDS
PRINCIPAL AWARD Congratulations to Aston from Year 4 Mellington on receiving the Principal Award. Aston what a great start to the school year you have
had not only in the classroom, but also by your
efforts in helping the school to look great again!
I always enjoy seeing your smile in and out of the
classroom. You are a true ambassador for
Grahamvale, always displaying the school’s values.
Keep up this great attitude
and level of confidence
Aston and you will
continue to achieve great
things!
ACADEMIC AWARD Congratulations to Jayden from Year 6 Scott on receiving the Academic Award. Jayden has started his final year of Primary School with a positive,
mature attitude. He is willing to ‘have a go’ at new things, and
demonstrates a growth mindset by seeking and responding to
feedback on his learning. Jayden is an independent learner;
managing his behaviour and using his initiative to problem solve and
complete tasks on time. Jayden understands what it takes to achieve
his learning goals. He is friendly and cooperative in class, works well
in a team and aims to achieve his personal
best across all areas of his learning. During
Literacy and Numeracy, Jayden often
shares his problem solving strategies and
reflections with the class, and happily tries
new strategies that extend his learning.
Keep up the great work Jayden, with your
‘can do’ attitude you are sure to achieve
any future goal you set your mind to.
Do you shop at Rebel in
Shepparton?
Grahamvale Primary
points to purchase
families in need whether it be through a time of
illness, death or hardship in the family.
We are seeking willing people to go on a roster to
make a meal or two throughout the year.
Each year we do have a new roster so even if you
have volunteered in the past please let Glenda or
Sue know if you are available to help us out.
The meals are distributed at the
discretion of the Principal.
can do on this earth is to let people
know they are not alone.”
Shannon L. Alder
Notice of Election and Call for Nominations
An election is to be conducted for members of the Grahamvale Primary
School Council.
Nomination forms may be obtained from the school office and must be lodged by
4pm Monday 17th February.
There are three vacancies to be filled. These are for a period of two years.
Fairleys Supa IGA Community Rewards Program
Our school is registered for the Fairleys Supa IGA Community
Rewards program. Families can register in-store.
Funds generated by customer point donations are converted to
cash and handed over at the end of the financial year.
Grahamvale Sport Club 2020 key dates:
21 st February registrations close – no late registrations will be accepted
Early March - teams announced
Positions Vacant:
The Sports Club is seeking to fill the position of Vice President. If you are interested and would
like further details, please contact Carla Dixon on 0407 476041.
Grahamvale Sports Club is rostered as the assistant convenor at the Shepparton Netball
Association (SNA) in 2020. The commitments are minor for the role. The focus is shadowing the
convenor with the intention to fill the convenor role in 2021. The convenor role is critical for the
morning netball competition. This role can be shared by two people.
We are seeking volunteer/s to fill the assistant convenor role. Please contact Tracy Taylor on
0458 321 125 if you are interested in filling the position.
Lids4Kids
Thank you to all those who donated their lids last year. We collected over
10,000 lids, which is an amazing effort.
We will continue to collect these lids this year. There are containers in each
class room. Can we please ask that you only bring in Number 2 or 4 recyclable lids - milk bottle
lids, soft drink lids, water bottle lids and bread clips. No pop top lids or medicine bottle lids
please. Lids must be washed before you bring them to school. Weekly totals will be announced at
assembly.
These lids are then processed into plastic filament that is used in 3D printers. The printers then
make prosthetic hands for kids. For more information on this Google envision-hands.
The Child Safe Standards are compulsory minimum standards for all Victorian early childhood services and
schools, to ensure they are well prepared to protect children from abuse and neglect. The standards provide a
framework for schools to review existing policies and practices and all other aspects of child safety, to ensure a
‘Zero Tolerance’ approach to any form of child abuse. You can access our policy on the school’s website.
Welcome to Physical Education (PE) for 2020.
Our goal in Physical Education is for everyone to feel successful when
participating in a variety of activities. This enables students to develop a
positive attitude toward physical activity which will hopefully continue
throughout their lives. Students will be encouraged to have fun and enjoy
PE, rather than focus on winning. They will also be encouraged to
participate, doing their personal best, in a wide variety of activities.
During Term one, all students will be participating in a wide range of
games and activities that promote teamwork and getting along with
others. Students will continue to learn and work on the Bluearth
principles. Year 3-6 students will do some training towards the end of
Term 1 for the school cross country run held early in Term 2.
During Term two, the whole school will be involved in dance. The junior
students will also work on Fundamental Motor Skills and the senior
students will be involved in fitness activities.
Your child will have PE once a week. They will have it the same day and
time each week. Can you please ensure that your child has appropriate
shoes, such as sneakers, for this lesson. Students without their hat will
not be allowed to participate and will need to sit in the shade and watch.
If your child can not participate in PE due to injury, illness, etc can you
please give a note to their classroom teacher or myself explaining why
they can’t participate and for how many weeks.
If you have any questions please feel free to come and see me.
Suzanne Watts
FlexiBuzz
Please make sure you have downloaded the FlexiBuzz app to your phone. This is a
great way to stay up to date with the happenings around the school and to get
those ‘timely’ reminders. Don’t forget also to update to your child’s
new year level or you could miss out on vital information.
Welcome back everyone!!! We’re in for another busy year and I’m so excited also to be back
from sick leave.
All students are now expected to have a named Art Smock!!
FOUNDATION
Our students will be learning how to find and use everything in the Art Studio (We painted
our Chinese New Year fans on day one!). Our next theme will be “Me” and my friends at
school. We will explore paint mixing and drawing of shapes and lines. Watch out for the next
piece of artwork for your FRIDGE!!!
Years 1/2
Our Chinese Dragons are amazing. We hope you enjoyed watching the performance at the
festival last weekend at school. Next we will move onto our theme of “Me” and explore
more concepts including texture, line, space and shape. Our students will become very good
at locating everything within the Art Studio and will share lots of ideas on how to present
Artwork. Keep an eye out around each classroom for our first piece of named Artwork.
Years 3/4
Our Chinese New Year fans were a great display on the picket fence last weekend at school.
The students are now looking forward to taking home their work. Next we move to explore
paint and colour by having fun with watercolours and straws to make funky people with
unusual hair. We will explore colour mixing, texture, shape and line throughout Term 1.
Years 5/6
After making some terrific Chinese Crackers for our festival last weekend, the students are
really looking forward to a term of Steam Punk. We will be learning the concept of Steam
Punk over the next few weeks and then launching into individualised “Robots” to display the
skills learnt. Did you know you can make a simple cog from cardboard? With paint it will look
rustic and realistic. Students will be encouraged to collect photos on iPads to show their
progress.
As with other years we are happy to accept donations of small, clean items (beads, ribbon,
buttons, permanent markers, special pens, pom poms etc)
If you have other items just check I can store them before bringing them along. We are very
good at recycling here at Grahamvale, so just ask. Looking forward to a great year with
everyone.
Classroom Parent Helpers 2020
Thank you to all parents who have volunteered to assist with
student learning this year. Information sessions will be held for Foundation – Year 2 parents who
wish to assist in classrooms this year. These sessions will be presented by classroom teachers.
It is a requirement to attend this session to review the classroom helper policy and sign our
annual confidentiality form. Year 3- 6 parent helpers will also require to sign the confidentiality
form. These are available from their classroom teacher or at the front office.
Please check below for dates and times.
Year 1/2 8:45 – 9:15am
Please come and see me if you have any questions.
Thank you
Anda O’Keeffe
Acting Assistant Principal
We are very excited to begin a new program at Grahamvale Primary School. Lots of parents have been asking what is STEM? STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Students will be learning about Science concepts while incorporating Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Students will be participating in problem solving, conducting experiments, working in teams, creating projects and presenting information to real audiences about real world issues.
This Semester the focus will be on Biological Sciences. These are the following topics for each year level:
Foundation: How plants grow and survive
Years 1/2: Types of animals and their life cycles
Years 3/4: Producers, consumers and decomposers and the impact of environmental changes to a food web
Years 5/6: Living things and adaptations
If you have a particular interest in an animal, plant or any living thing and are interested in sharing your knowledge with the students please come and see us!
Have a fantastic first term!
Emily Lancashire (STEM Years F-4) and Carly Cursio (Years 5/6)
Car Park The car park does become very busy, particularly after school. During the first weeks of the
year it is even busier. For the benefit of new families and as a reminder to existing families the
following are some rules and ideas that help improve the safety and efficiency of the area.
•The speed limit is 10kph
If parked in the front row closest to the school, you need to turn left to exit
If parked in the row closest to the road, you need to turn right to exit
However parents that use Drop & Go in the mornings can use either exits if safe
•Only cars with a disabled sticker displayed should park in the disabled car parks
•Always use the pedestrian crossing provided rather than weaving in and out of the cars
•Open car doors carefully
•NO parking in the Drop & Go area UNTIL AFTER 9am
•Only pick up and drop off students when your car is in a designated car park or you are using the ’drop and go zone’ in the morning
•If you wish to park near the front of the school, please pick your child up and leave immediately.
If you wish to stay and talk to anyone, please park further down
•Do not stop and wait for a park as traffic gets banked up on the main road. If someone is actually backing out, then it is okay to give way and take that park
•If there are no parks available you may need to drive out onto the main road and come around again until there is one available
•The ‘drop and go zone’ in the morning is located at the far end of the carpark. Please use this whenever possible to ease congestion in the morning. After school you can park in this area but you need to turn left when exiting the carpark
Parking along the school side of the road outside the car park is acceptable between the
signs near the entry and exit and to the north of the exit past the ‘No Parking’ sign. Any
parking on the side of the road before the entry is illegal and extremely dangerous. The
Police will fine drivers caught doing a u-turn across the double lines or those who are
parked illegally.
To ease congestion at 3:20pm, it is suggested that you do not necessarily come at this
time. There are usually more parks available by 3:30pm and after 3:35pm it isn’t busy at
all. Of course you would have to explain to your child/ren if you are going to pick them up
later than 3:20pm. Car pooling is another option that has worked successfully in the past.
We are very fortunate to have a car park as many schools don’t have such a facility available.
Where possible, particularly at the 3:20pm pick up time, we will have a staff member on duty to
help with traffic movement. If we use common sense and be patient and courteous it should
work effectively and safely.
PRIMARY SCHOOL
PRIVACY INFORMATION for parents and carers
During the ordinary course of your child’s attendance at our school, school staff will collect your child’s personal and health information when necessary to educate your child, or to support your child’s social and emotional wellbeing or health in the school context. Such information will also be collected when required to fulfil a legal obligation, including duty of care, anti-discrimination law and occupational health and safety law. If that information is not collected, the school may be unable to provide optimal education or support to your child, or fulfil those legal obligations.
For example, health information may be collected through the school nurse, primary welfare officer or wellbeing staff member. If your child is referred to a specific health service at school, such as a Student Support Services officer, the required consent will be obtained. Our school also collects information provided by parents and carers through the School Entrance Health Questionnaire (SEHQ) and the Early Childhood Intervention Service (ECIS) Transition Form.
Our school may use online tools, such as apps and other software, to effectively collect and manage information about your child for teaching and learning purposes, parent communication and engagement; student administration; and school management purposes. When our school uses these online tools, we take steps to ensure that your child’s information is secure. If you have any concerns about the use of these online tools, please contact us.
School staff will only share your child’s personal or health information with other staff who need to know to enable the school to educate or support your child, or fulfil a legal obligation.
When our students transfer to another Victorian government school, personal and health information about that student will be transferred to that next school. Transferring this information is in the best interests of our students and assists that next school to provide optimal education and support to students.
In some limited circumstances, information may be disclosed outside of the school (and outside of the Department of Education and Training). The school will seek your consent for such disclosures unless the disclosure is allowed or mandated by law.
Our school values the privacy of every person. When collecting and managing personal and health information, all school staff must comply with Victorian privacy law. For more information about privacy including about how to access personal and health information held by the school about you or your child, see our school’s privacy policy: https:// www.education.vic.gov.au/Pages/schoolsprivacypolicy.aspx
Throughout this notice, ‘staff’ includes principals, teachers, Student Support Service officers, youth workers, social workers, nurses and any other allied health practitioners and all other staff at our school. This includes employees, agents and service providers (contractors) of the Department, whether paid or unpaid.